How do I get little numbers for empirical formula?

[Guest]

I want to write little numbers that are down the bottom of the line does
anyone know how to do this?

 

[Stefan Blom]

Select the number and format it as subscript (Format | Font, Font
tab).

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


in message
news:[email protected]...

 

[Guest]

If you're doing physics as opposed to chemistry, you might have better
results with Equation Editor. To use it, go to Insert, Object, then select
Equation Editor from the Create New list.

For chemistry, subscripts are the easier answer.

 

[Guest]

Highlight the number, right click the highlighted number(s), select Font from
the menu, click the subscript box. That should do it.

 

[Guest]

Stefan,

Okay that's one way to do it, but you have to take your hands away from the
keyboard. As a chemist, I really need a fast method of typing a long formula
containing superscripts and subscripts without taking my hands from the
keyboard. Suppose you are typing in the formula for a mineral like
staurolite (Fe2Al9Si4O22(OH)2). You could type the whole thing, go back,
select all of the different numbers (and you'd need to turn off those pesky
default auto-whole-word-selecting features), and go Format | Font etc. for
each one!! Time yourself. It's slow.

There's another way -- using the CTRL key sequences. If you type CTRL= you
get into subscript mode.

So if you want to type that quickly, you type

Fe CTRL= 2 CTRL= Al CTRL= 9 CTRL= etc.

You can combine the two features by selecting the number to be subscripted
with your mouse and then pressing CTRL=

And by the way it's CTRLSHIFT= for superscript.

I realize you already know this, but I'm coming 'round to asking a question.

The keyboard-only trick I just described works just fine in MS Word, even in
MS Word 2007. I just tried it. BUT -- here's my question for you, the MVP
guy! (And I say that with great respect!) It *doesn't* work in PowerPoint
2007. Oh! How frustrating for preparing my lectures!

Can you look into that and see what I'm missing? I looked into the help (?)
thing within PowerPoint 2007, and it says that CTRL-SPACEBAR should return me
to regular text (that was not an easy bit of help to find by the way). But
here's the problem -- it doesn't actually work. Open up PP 2007 and see if
you can type in H2O (the 2 is subscripted) without taking your hands away
from the keyboard. Very very hard.

I'll buy you lunch if you can educate me on this. (Cash value $10).